November 11 marks Remembrance Day – a time when Lake Macquarie’s 20-plus war memorials and monuments become a focal point for our community. This year’s commemorations are particularly special, with 11am on the 11th of the 11th marking exactly 100 years since the armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany, bringing to an end history’s bloodiest conflict. Lake Macquarie was a young and sparsely populated shire when WWI broke out in 1914, yet still an estimated 1000 local men signed up to join the fight half way around the world. More than 10 per cent of them never came home. That is what makes our war memorials and monuments such important features of our community. Many were erected soon after peace was declared, listing names of those killed in action. It is deeply moving to visit these sites to read through the names. I’m pleased to note restoration work is underway on two memorials in Lake Macquarie, and on a monument to the Great War that has stood sentinel in Speers Point Park since the 1920s. The two memorials are at Killingworth and West Wallsend, while the monument is a 25cm trench mortar captured from the Germans by Australian troops advancing across the Western Front in August 1918. Council will assess and prioritise other memorial restorations as they become necessary.

Memorials focus of Remembrance Day | Lake Macquarie City Council Mayor Kay Fraser

IMPORTANT WORK: The Killingworth war memorial, which is under restoration.

November 11 marks Remembrance Day – a time when Lake Macquarie’s 20-plus war memorials and monuments become a focal point for our community.

This year’s commemorations are particularly special, with 11am on the 11th of the 11th marking exactly 100 years since the armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany, bringing to an end history’s bloodiest conflict.

Lake Macquarie was a young and sparsely populated shire when WWI broke out in 1914, yet still an estimated 1000 local men signed up to join the fight half way around the world. More than 10 per cent of them never came home.

That is what makes our war memorials and monuments such important features of our community. Many were erected soon after peace was declared, listing names of those killed in action. It is deeply moving to visit these sites to read through the names.

I’m pleased to note restoration work is underway on two memorials in Lake Macquarie, and on a monument to the Great War that has stood sentinel in Speers Point Park since the 1920s. The two memorials are at Killingworth and West Wallsend, while the monument is a 25cm trench mortar captured from the Germans by Australian troops advancing across the Western Front in August 1918.

Council will assess and prioritise other memorial restorations as they become necessary.